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Food bank bracing for busy Christmas season

Jacks Evans/Special to The Intelligencer
Susanne Quinlan is not a “foodie” by modern definition, but she is surrounded by mounds of food items of all types regularly distributed to thousands of people by the Gleaners Food Bank.

Growing older for Belleville’s Gleaner’s Food Bank also means getting bigger in its operations as the need for food support continues to grow across the community.
Despite its active presence in Belleville for several decades, food bank director Susanne Quinlan reports the agency continues to be overlooked, or even unknown, in terms of taking part in community needs.
One aspect of its growth is that with the move to its new headquarters on Wallbridge Crescent, the generous space has allowed Gleaners to open up a large warehouse area to receive, store and distribute supplies in large quantities. The warehouse not only serves Gleaners, but supports eight food banks across the Quinte area for bulk supplies.
With various studies under way in the region on homelessness and poverty, Quinlan said she continues to be surprised her agency is seldom contacted.
“They are looking for statistics,” she said, “and we have all kinds of them. We keep names, addresses, family, ages and shelter situations from each client of the food bank. We even record people who are staying with friends and whereabouts. We’ve been recording statistics for 30 years.”
As for food supplies, she praised the support of the entire Quinte area, especially Kelloggs and, most recently, Walmart which donates all broken packages.
“Some things we get we can’t use ourselves so we sent a large shipment up to native communities in the north,” she added. The warehouse even stores bulk pet food for the food banks in Prince Edward County, which offer that service.
Another major partner for Gleaners and other Quinte area food banks is the local volunteer firefighters, who operate a “Santa Tour and Food Drive” every year, bringing in large quantities distributed to all area food banks. Tour dates this year are Sunday, Dec. 10 for the areas of Hamilton, Lester and Meyers Creek roads, Jeffery Drive, Whites and Quinte roads, Sunny Creek Estates, Settlers Landing, Potash Lane and Frost Road.
On Monday, Dec.11, the crews campaign around Bayview Estates and Bayview, Baylea, Bayswater and Ghent drives and Kenron Estates. Then, on Tuesday, Dec. 12, its Burns Avenue, Wedgewood Lane, Moira Street West, Catalina and Colonial drives, Montrose Road, Emerald Court, Parkside Road and Country Club Drive. The firefighters invite parents to “Bring the kids out to meet Santa” as a special attraction for the drive.
Gleaners serves people from infants, student age, including Loyalist College, to seniors, not just unemployed, but people whose income is not enough to meet their needs. It also distributes fresh produce as available and keeps large quantities of frozen meats on hand.
As of the end of September this year, it had processed some 8,300 requests, including infant supplies and pet food.
Complaints some time ago that there was nowhere at the food bank to get a drink or a snack, resulted in a quick response to establish a small canteen area in the food bank to serve cold drinks, hot coffee, sandwiches and snacks. That operation, too, has been moved to the new headquarters and Quinlan said she is hopeful it can be expanded into a full kitchenette with sink and running water in the near future. The food bank also responded to open Wednesday evenings for people who could not get there during the day, she noted.
Meanwhile, during opening hours, weekday mornings and Wednesday evenings, the building is a hive of activity with dozens of people coming and going every hour.